


Unloved

by Missccp



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Depression, Friendship, Frisk Needs A Hug, Gen, Hurt, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mom Toriel, Near Death Experiences, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Suicide Attempt, Undertale Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-03-06 11:33:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13410381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missccp/pseuds/Missccp
Summary: They say that those who climb Mt. Ebott never return... you never understood why they did it. So why are you climbing now?"If there's one thing I know, I am unloved"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This comes from dark head space territory. I don't recommend reading this if you're easily triggered by depressive thoughts. Comments are welcome :)

"How can you be so stupid! You should've left that little monster!" His voice screamed as hands slammed hard on the kitchen table.

"That 'monster' is our child!" A woman's voice rang no less harsher than the former, "Don't you dare drag them into this!"

You remember the muffled sound of crashing plates across the hall. You remember them screaming. You remember her crying but it's all a blur now. 

With what little money you had, you took a bus to get as far away as you can. 

"It's better this way…" you idly said as you watched the outlines of the city slowly fade away.

Hours later, the bus slowed for the last stop, Mt. Ebott. You stood up to leave but were stopped by the bus driver placing a hand on your shoulder. 

He asked where you were going, concern etched on his face. A child alone, wandering in the middle of nowhere is never a good sign.

You smile at him, saying something about someone else picking you up. Somewhat satisfied the bus driver left. You waved him goodbye.

A stick in your hand, you began your climb. You tapped a familiar rhythm on the trees as you passed them by. You didn't mark the paths you took, you had no plans of coming back, there was no point.

"I hate you! You useless piece of trash!" Somewhere in the distance you heard a voice. 

He couldn't have followed you here. You twist your head frantically, looking for a tall lanky figure between the trees.

"Do you think you can run away from me? When I get you, I'm going to make you wish you'd never been born!" His voice rang even louder than before. 

Covering your ears, you tried to run away from the voice. But with every step you took, the voice sounded closer and closer.

"Shut up! Leave me alone!" Tears start welling in your eyes clouding your vision. You could hardly see where you were heading. One misplaced vine, tripped you off balance. Your foot slipped and the world spun. One moment you were running for your life, the next moment you were falling.

"They say, that those who climbed Mt. Ebbot never returned." Funny, when you were younger you never understood why. Why would anyone climb up this mountain if ghey knew they could never come back? Well now you knew... 'If there's one thing I know, I am unloved'. You closed your eyes and accepted your fate.

-

"Hello, my name is Toriel" 

Her paws lightly brushed your face, as she checked you for wounds. She gently held your hand, as she led you safely across the traps. She walked slowly, as she made sure to match your pace. 

Toriel welcomed you into her home, happily gave you your own room, fed you the most delicious pies you've ever had, gifter you all the toys you could ever want.

When you asked, she told you stories, read you books, told you jokes. And at nights, she never failed to tuck you in, lingering by the door just a little longer to make sure you were comfortable.

One night, as you closed your eyes, she placed a warm kiss on your forehead, whispering, "I love you, my child." 

The door clicked shut. Her footsteps faded away. "That's...", hushed words escape your lips, "...not true..." That night, you didn't sleep.

The following day, you asked her, "How can I leave the ruins?" 

Clearly, troubled she tried to distract you. Books. Bugs. Snails. Pie. She dodged the question again and again. But you were determined, you wouldn't let this go.

You followed her down the stairs. Stumbling in the darkness, you found her at the end of the tunnel. She towered over you, blocking the door you assumed lead outside the ruins.

Fight me if you want to leave, she said. You obliged, you had to leave no matter what. 

Toriel attacked, you try to dodge but you were too slow. The pain felt like nothing you ever felt before. She glared at you, hurt clearly written her eyes.

You tried to talk to her, to comfort her, but no words ever came out your mouth.

Volley after volley her fire continued to burn you. You were far too numb to notice. After all, you've been hurt far worse before.

As she summoned another wall of flames, you braced yourself for pain. But, it never came. Instead her arms enveloped you. Her tears felt warm on your shoulders. No one ever asked you to stay before. No one ever cried for you before.

She stood up and started to leave. She gave you one last glance, one you couldn't comprehend. Her footsteps echoed in the empty caverns and slowly disappeared. 

Her voice continued to echo in your mind "I love you". You stepped through the door wondering, did she really mean it?

\- 

She wasn't sure where her feet were leading her until she saw the familiar bed of golden flowers. 

Kneeling down, Toriel examined the patch, it looked parched. She supposed she could walk back home to get her watering can. 

A tear slid down her cheek bouncing off one of the flower petals. She thought perhaps, just this once, her tears would be enough.

Through the years, children came and went. Sometimes they stayed for days. Others stayed for only a while. She knew that they all would eventually leave. Still, she never stopped hoping against all odds that one of them would stay. Stay here, where it was safe, away from the other selfish monsters who'd try to kill them.

Every time one of them left, she thought 'Had I not given them enough? Had I given them too much? Had I done something wrong? If only i had not... would they have stayed?' These thoughts eternally plagued her.

At nights she would dream about them. She'd dream about their faces, how their smiles brought colors back into her monotonous life. She'd dream about their voices, how their laughs brought music back into her empty home. She'd dream about their fates, how their innocent souls were forcibly taken for the sake of the cause. She hated those dreams most.

She loved them all so much, why couldn't they love her back? Why was she always fated to be unloved?


	2. Better off Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they make an unlikely friend...

You push the doors and step outside the ruins for the first time. You blink once then twice, willing your eyes to adjust to the sudden rush of light. You take a moment to take it all in. The tall trees, the shrubs, the ground, all of it was covered in white. You rub your eyes, hardly believing what you were seeing. It was like being in a winter wonderland. 

"Toriel look! It's snowing!" You turn around, only to be greeted by the sound of the door shutting with a loud thud. 

That's right, you were alone now. You frown at your realization. Not that it was any different from before. You were used to being alone. But now, there was a heavy feeling weighing in your chest, an inexplicable void in your heart that's begging to be filled. You were used to being alone but now you felt alone. 

Clutching the fabric in front of your chest, you will the ache to stop and start walking.

Up ahead you see an outline of a bridge, beside it stood a tall white figure. That's an odd place to build a snowman, you thought to yourself.

A few more steps forward, you notice the snowman was a different shade of white from the rest of the snow-covered landscape. It looked oddly skeletal. Like one of those replicas hanging around your doctor's clinic or a bigger version of 'jack' the skeleton decor you set in front of your house every Halloween.

Huh, Toriel never mentioned monsters celebrated Halloween. Still it's looked weird, why would anyone dress it with a scarf and matching red boots? 

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. SANS LEFT HIS POST UNATTENDED, HIS PUZZLES UNCALIBRATED!" The skeleton puffed its chest and stomped its foot on the ground. 

You stop dead in your tracks. The thing moved. It was alive and quite noticeably upset. Toriel mentioned monsters came in all shapes and sizes but you couldn't believe talking skeletons actually existed. 

You were standing a few feet in front of a living, maybe not breathing, skeleton monster. You would’ve been thrilled if it weren’t for Toriel's warning echoing in the back of your mind. If the monster in front of you sees you, they will kill you. If the monster in front of you sees you, they will take your soul.

You needed to get out of sight. You take a few steps back, eyes locked onto the monster making sure you weren't noticed. In your haste, you failed to notice the branch behind you. Your feet snag in the branch, causing you to fall flat on your back.

"WHO GOES THERE?" 

You try to scramble to your feet but the skeleton closed the gap between you in a couple of strides. Gloved hands lifted you a few feet up in the air and promptly set you back down. 

"THE GROUND IS NOT A COMFORTABLE PLACE TO TAKE A NAP. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" He briskly brushed the snow that clung to your clothes.

"I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SOON TO BE ROYAL GUARD! WHAT IS YOUR NAME, SMALL CHILD?"

"Frisk." You wanted to argue that you average height, but decided against it.

"HAVE YOU SEEN ANOTHER SKELETON AROUND? MY BROTHER IS SUPPOSED TO PATROL HERE. BUT HE IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. YOU ARE VERY FORTUNATE THAT I FOUND YOU FIRST. HE WOULD'VE MADE A WEIRD FIRST IMPRESSION.”

The skeleton monster didn't seem to know what you were yet, but that didn't mean he wouldn't find out sooner or later. You say a polite thank you and attempt to escape. 

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING? YOU SHOULD NOT BE WANDERING ALONE IN THE WOODS.” He crossed his arms on his chest and narrowed his eyes on your small form.

"Uhm…" Before you could get any further, he gripped you by your shoulders. 

"I CANNOT ALLOW A CHILD TO WALK ALONE IN THE WOODS. I SHALL ESCORT YOU BACK TO TOWN. BUT FIRST YOU SHALL ACCOMPANY ME TO RECALIBRATE THE PUZZLES!"

Papyrus led you away, his arm hanging around your shoulders. With no possible means of escape, the two of you cross the bridge. 

\- 

Papyrus strode across the forest with purpose. He stopped every now and then to prod trees and press buttons. Sometimes he dug the snow in the ground, then covered it back up again with a satisfied nod. 

He talked about his puzzles a lot. His eyes lit up as he explained in detail how each of them worked. He showed you exactly how you were supposed to solve every one of them. You barely understood what he said half the time, but he seemed pleased enough to see you listening. Monsters are weird, but nice.

"WHERE ARE MY MANNERS? WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY SOLVING ONE FRISK?"

You eagerly nod, excited to do something other than follow and listen. He beckoned you to come closer and began explaining the mechanics.

"NOW, TO SOLVE THIS PUZZLE, YOU MUST TURN ALL THE Xs INTO Os. HOWEVER, YOU MUST ONLY STEP ON THEM ONCE OR ELSE THEY WILL TURN INTO TRIANGLES. BY THEN, YOU MUST START OVER. LIKE SO." 

With a click, the puzzle was done even before he finished his explanation.

Realizing his mistake, he flashed you an apologetic smile. "NYEHEHE. IT SEEMS THAT IN MY GREATNESS I HAVE SOLVED THE PUZZLE WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT. I APOLOGIZE FRISK. YOU CAN TRY THE NEXT ONE." He bounded of to the next room with you trailing behind.

You scan the room taking every detail in. You understood next solution easy enough, turn all the Xs into Os, don't step on them more than once. You know the concept in your head, but, standing in front of it you realize two big problems. One, the floor is covered in ice, you've never skated before in your life. Two, the ice conveniently sat at the edge of a cliff, you’re not too fond of falling to your death any time soon. 

You were a second away from telling Papyrus you couldn't do it, when his hands pushed you forward. You flail your arms trying to keep your balance as you start sliding. You try to stop, but your feet continued to skid on the ice. It wasn't until you hit a conveniently placed rock, that your momentum stopped. The first X turned to an O.

"YOU'RE DOING GREAT! WELL, NOT AS GREAT AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS. BUT STILL QUITE GOOD."

You give him a thumbs up and proceed to the next tile. This time you were ready. You slide across the ice with ease. A couple of turns later, the end was already in sight, but the path to the next room still hadn't opened. You look around to see if you missed anything. To your left was a lone X. There was no way reach it without stepping on the Os. You frown at your mistake.

"IT'S ALRIGHT! YOU DID WELL FOR YOUR FIRST TRY. SLIDE BACK HERE AND I'LL RESET THE PUZZLE." 

You make your way back to Papyrus, trying to hide your growing disappointment. You couldn't believe you made such a stupid mistake. The puzzle was so easy. You couldn't believe you missed one. You really couldn't do anything right. You always were a failure. You were a mistake. Why did you even bother trying?

Your trail of thought was broken by a scream. Papyrus looked at you, fear and panic etched in his face. You realized you weren’t heading towards him anymore. You were sliding toward the edge of the cliff. You try to reach for one of the rocks to no avail. You lose your balance and fall flat on your back. The edge getting closer each passing second.

The next thing you knew, Papyrus' arms wrapped protectively around you. The two of you tumble down the cliff. You don't know how long the two of you fell, until you felt the snow at the bottom of the cliff break your fall.

He sat up slowly still holding you in his arms. “PHEW. YOU SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL. WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD NOT GOTTEN TO YOU IN TIME." 

Your whole body shook as you shielded your head with your arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean put you in danger. I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." You kept repeating your words, refusing to meet his eyes. 

"JUMPING OFF CLIFFS CAN HARDLY BE CALLED DANGEROUS FOR ONE AS GREAT AS I. I AM A ROYAL GUARD IN TRAINING AFTER ALL. NYEHEHE" 

Papyrus gently, brushed the snow off you like he did before. You sniff and wipe your watery eyes.

"I KNOW WHAT WILL CHEER YOU UP. I, THE GREAT CHEF PAPYRUS, SPAGHETTI EXTRAORDINAIRE, SHALL COOK YOU THE BEST PASTA IN SNOWDIN."

Before you could get up, Papyrus lifted you up on his shoulders, and started walking to Snowdin.  
-

"WELCOME TO SNOWDIN: HOME OF PAPYRUS!"

You doubted a place would have a tagline as cheesy as that, but you let it pass. Papyrus was a pretty cool guide. He was thorough but surprisingly not boring. So far, you've learned that the Shop in Snowdin made the best cinnamon bunnies. Whatever that was. The Inn was a great place to stay, the owner was very nice. Grillby's was a no-go. Their food was too greasy and Papyrus had standards. The Library's sign was ironically misspelled, and no one has bothered to fix it yet.

In under an hour, you were done with the tour and already heading to his house. Papyrus set you down in front of a two-story wooden house located at the edge of the town. Snow covered its roof and a pirate flag waved proudly at the top. It was way bigger than the other houses you passed by. 

"WELCOME TO SCENIC MY HOUSE!" He proudly announced as he opened the door to let you in. 

You take a good long glance at the decor. To your surprise, the inside of the house was pretty normal. You expected to see torches hanging on stone walls, skulls lying around in a medieval looking dungeon. But all you found were a TV, a couch and a couple of tables. In the kitchen were a refrigerator, a stove, a counter, a sink too tall for you to reach and an uninteresting trash can. A flight of stairs on the left led to what you assumed where Papyrus' and his brother's room. 

In the right side of the room was a rock resting on top of a desk. You take a closer look at the little thing, waiting for it to move. If skeletons can talk, surely a sentient rock wouldn't be too far off. A minute of staring passed, nothing happened. You decided to look at something else.

"SANS! YOU LAZY BONES. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP ME RECALIBRATE THE PUZZLES TODAY!" Papyrus shook the shorter skeleton that was snoozing on the couch.

"sorry bro. i guess it just sleep-ed my mind."

"UGH. I HAVE NO TIME FOR YOUR HORRIBLE PUNS. I BROUGHT A GUEST WITH ME AND I MUST IMPRESS THEM WITH MY CULINARY SKILLS. "

"sure bro. you do that." Papyrus strode inside the kitchen, leaving the two of you alone.

"hey kiddo, why don't you take a seat?" The short skeleton patted the spot next to him. 

You plop down right next to him. Pbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbt. You didn’t… you wouldn’t… Your mind raced to make up an excuse or at least a plausible explanation, when he started chuckling. 

"heh. the old whoopee cushion in the couch trick. gets them every time." Unhappy with being at the receiving end of a joke, you gave him a wry smile.

"the name's sans. sans the skeleton. got a name, kid?"

"Frisk" You shake the skeleton's hands. After exchanging pleasantries, the two of you lapse into comfortable silence. 

He was currently watching the Underground News. You're not really fond of listening to reporters talking about complicated things, but you still found yourself mesmerized by the glowing box. 

A little later, Papyrus' voice rang out from the kitchen. "SANS! HAVE YOU SEEN THE GLITTER GLUE AND GOOGLY EYES? I AM SURE I BOUGHT SOME YESTERDAY. I CANNOT MAKE MY SPECIAL SAUCE WITHOUT THEM.”

You turn to Sans in horror. You knew little to nothing about cooking, but you were sure that glue and plastic shouldn’t go anywhere near food.

"don't worry kiddo. nothing gets pasta me. i'll make sure meal's at least edible." He winked at you then headed toward the kitchen.

_

Dinner was thankfully eatable. Lucky for you the googly eyes and glitter glue magically disappeared, much to the chef’s dismay. Still he looked content that you were eating his dish. Your plate of spaghetti and sprinkles weren't half bad. 

After finishing your pasta, Papyrus insisted on washing the dishes. You were about to argue but you had to admit, you couldn't reach their sink, let alone wash anything in it. Defeated, you make your way to the couch. Sans was watching a cooking show starring a robot chef. Said chef was currently dumping a hefty amount of glitter glue in the bowl. Now you know where Papyrus got his innovative cooking ideas.

"my bro's really taken a shine on you. he seems to like you a lot. papyrus doesn't have many friends. not everyone appreciates his enthusiasm.” 

“That's… sad. Papyrus is really nice.” 

“yeah. maybe you can stick around a bit longer?"

Before you could answer, Papyrus jogged into the room. “OH. THIS IS MY FAVORITE SHOW!” He sat in the middle of the couch. 

“WHAT WERE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT?”

“nothin' much, bro. kid just said he had a great time today.”

You nod vigorously at Papyrus.

“OF COURSE THEY DID. I AM A GREAT TOUR GUIDE AND AN EVEN BETTER HOST. NYEHEHE.”  
The three of you turn to watch the rest of the show.

-

That night you found yourself lying in the middle of a red racecar bed, ready to go to sleep. Papyrus insisted that you stayed in his room. He even offered to read you a story. 

Papyrus sat at the edge of the bed, favorite book in hand. He cleared his throat and started reading ‘Peek-a-boo with Fluffy Bunny' in the quietest voice he could manage. It still came out loud and did the opposite of lulling you to sleep, but it was the thought that count. You can't even remember the last time your parents did something like that for you. You weren’t a little kid anymore but that didn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy a good bedtime story.

"THE END.” He closed the book and tucked you in bed. Papyrus made his way across the room and flicked the light switch off.

"GOOD NIGHT, FRIEND FRISK."

-

"Let's play together." A little girl, no older than seven reached out her hand to you.

You twist your head to the side staring at the girl.

Her smile didn't falter as she pulled you by your wrist. "Come on, I'll be the pirate captain and you'll be my first mate." You found yourself being dragged across the park.

You spent the day together playing pretend. The jungle gym was your main ship, the whole playground was your ocean. You made treasure maps and everything. You were having so much fun that day that you didn’t notice the sun had already begun to set.

"Frisk, time to go." A tall man standing at the edge of the park called out to you. His arms were crossed as he waited for you to come.

"Do you have to go?” The girl pouted, disappointment written on her face. You nod at her, the tips of you lip curling into a frown.

“Let's meet here again next week.” Her smile was so hopeful, eagerly waiting for your reply.

The silence stretched for what felt like eternity. You wanted to say yes so badly. You really did want to see her again. But… they all leave. Friends never last long. Even if they say you’ll be friends forever, they never stay. And when their gone, it hurts. It hurts so bad. You've learned that it's better not to let anyone in. It’s better not to get close than to be left behind.

“Goodbye.” With your head bowed low, you make your way to your father. It's better this way, you convince to yourself. But, why did it still hurt?

-

It was still dark when you woke up. You drop off the edge of the bed. You open the door as quietly as you could and snuck down the stairs. You silently maneuver across the living room with practiced ease, careful not to wake the tall skeleton lying on the couch.

“Goodbye Papyrus." The door clicked shut behind you.

-

The tall skeleton stirred from his nap. He knew you were awake. He knew that you were leaving. He wanted to stop you. He liked having you around. He loved every minute he spent with you. But in the end, it was your choice, not his. 

He knew the guards will be after you in the morning. Capturing humans was their job after all, him included. As one of Snowdin's sentry, he was supposed to bring you to the king. 

But seeing you for the first time, he couldn't bring himself to do it. You were so small, defenseless, shaking in fear. He just couldn't. He couldn’t let them take you either. So instead he led you through the forest, making sure you weren't seen by the other guards. 

Yesterday, he wanted to be part of the Royal Guard more than anything. Yesterday, he wanted the fame, the glory, the recognition. Yesterday, he wanted to capture a human and be acknowledged by the king himself. Yesterday, he brought home a friend home instead.

The thought of losing one of his friends scared him. He didn’t have many friends. But those who counted, he would strive to keep. No matter the cost. Later today he'd have to make a choice. But for now, Papyrus pulled the covers over his head willing himself to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to continue the story to explore more of Frisk's backstories along with bits of everyone else's. This things gonna deviate a bit from main story but I'll do my best to keep the characters in character.
> 
> I've always been curious why Undertale was such a hit. I believe it's because the characters felt so real and relate-able. Or maybe that's just me reading a bit too much into it. Anyways hope you stick around :)


	3. What's made to be broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they make a wish...

What's Made to be Broken

The head of the Royal Guard was perched on top of a boulder sharpening a spear in her hand. Her concentration broke by the sound of footsteps echoing in the caverns. The guard lifted her eyes to regard her guest.  
  
"UNDYNE, I AM HERE FOR MY REPORT." He stood across the room, right arm raised in salute.  
  
She jumped from the top of the rock formation, sticking her landing she returned his salute.  
  
"ONE OF THE SHOPKEEPERS LOST THEIR BAG OF GOLD BUT WITH THE HELP OF THE SENTRIES IT WAS SWIFTLY RETURNED."  
  
A short nod from the guard signaled him to continue.  
  
"I SUCCESSFULLY APPREHENDED SOME TEENS WHO WERE HANGING DECORATIONS ON A POOR GYFTROT."  
  
"What else?"  
  
"WHILE I WAS PATROLING IN THE WOODS, I FOUND A H.." He paused mid-sentence, then coughed as if to cover his hesitation. "I FOUND ALL THE PUZZLES NEEDED TO BE CALIBRATED. WHICH I ACCOMPLISHED YESTERDAY. NO HUMAN SHALL PASS THEM WITHOUT BEING THOROUGHLY JAPED. NYEHEHE~"

“And the human?" She said calmly, as her metal gloves ran menacingly across the edge of her spear.  
  
"WHAT HUMAN?" Papyrus tilted his head to the side, expression clueless.  
  
Papyrus was smart, more than others gave him credit for. His carefree front can fool most people but, she knew better. Undyne picked up on his subtle cues. How he refused to close the distance between them. How he clenched and unclenched the hand behind his back. How he stood perfectly still when he normally gave his reports with boundless enthusiasm. She knew he was hiding something from her and the thought of it peeved her.  
  
"I said, where's the human, Papyrus?" Irritation clung to every word she spoke.  
  
Papyrus flinched, his mouth opened and closed though no words came from his mouth. Metal collided with rock, as Undyne struck the ground hard with her spear. She knew that he had been with the human. Of all people, it just had to be Papyrus.  
  
As seconds of silence turned into minutes, her patience grew thinner. Undyne wanted to scream at him, to punch his face hard. Maybe that would knock some sense into that thick skull of his. They could’ve been free yesterday. He was helping the enemy! He was betraying all of monsterkind!  
  
"I DON'T-"  
  
"Don't you dare lie to my face.” She glared daggers in his direction. “Dogamy saw you bring the human into your house. You could've captured the human and brought them to Asgore. At least, you could've told me!"  
  
Her hand grabbed a fistful of his shirt dragging him closer. "Why didn't you?!" She didn’t hide the betrayal and burning anger on her face.  
  
"… they were very nice." His voice came off meek compared to her accusations.  
  
"NICE?! You didn't capture them just because you thought they were nice? Did you forget what they did to us? They killed our kind and threw the rest of us underground to die. Don't you get it? It's their fault that we're TRAPPED down here!"  
  
"BUT, THIS HUMAN HAS NOT HURT ANYONE. THEY HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT KIND TO ME AND MY BROTHER."  
  
"Blah blah... after hundreds of years, a human falls down and decides not to kill us and that suddenly makes everything okay? Our job is to protect monsters from scum like them. We capture humans, bring them to Asgore so he can break the barrier and get us all out of here. I thought you wanted to be one of us?! Some Royal Guard you're turning out to be.”  
  
Undyne shoved him hard, letting him fall to the ground. She eyed him from head to foot, taking in the way his shoulders trembled, the way his mouth hung open in disbelief, the way his eyes watered with guilt and shame.

"I thought you were better than this.”  
  
The head of the Royal Guard put on her helmet, adjusted her armor and picked up her spear.

“I guess I was wrong. Go home Papyrus.”  
  
"BUT I!"  
  
"I said you're done." Metal boots clanged loudly on the floor as the Head of the Royal Guard marched toward Waterfall.  
  
\---  
  
You trekked quietly, careful not to be seen. The sound of rushing water echoed in the cavern walls as you made your way through Waterfall. You were lucky only a few monsters loitered in the area.  
  
"IS THAT YOU FRISK?" Apparently, you weren’t as stealthy as you thought you were. There goes your plans of becoming a part-time ninja.  
  
You recognized that voice and you did not want to face it right now. How could you? You left without saying goodbye. What were you going to say to him? Where would you even start?

You picked up your pace pretending you heard nothing. Maybe if you didn't turn he'd think you were someone else and walk away.

For the second time today, you were horribly wrong. In less than a minute, he had already jogged beside you. Curse your tiny legs.  
  
"I AM GLAD I CAUGHT UP WITH YOU! YOU LEFT IN SUCH A HURRY I DID NOT EVEN HAVE THE CHANCE TO SEE YOU OFF."  
  
"I…” You avert your eyes, not wanting to see the look on his face. “I'm sorry. I didn't want to bother you.”  
  
"NO MATTER. WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"  
  
You pause, racking your brain for a passable answer, or any answer for that matter. You honestly didn’t know where you were going. You had no home to go back to. No one who’d really want you. You weren't supposed to get this far. You didn't really have anything planned after going up the mountain.  
  
"I don't really know. But, I’ll know it when I get there."  
  
"I SEE. LUCKY FOR YOU, I AM A GREAT GUIDE. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL ESCORT YOU ONCE MORE. ONWARD, FRIEND FRISK!"  
  
You wanted to protest but by now you knew there was no stopping Papyrus when he's made up his mind. Looks like there’s no getting rid of him. You shook your head and sighed, a soft smile forming in your face. The two of you journey through Waterfall side by side.  
  
\--  
  
"I REMEMBER THIS PLACE.” He said as he excitedly pointed at a hole in the wall. “MY BROTHER USED TO TAKE ME DOWN HERE ALL THE TIME.”  
  
You wonder what he’s so giddy about. Before you could ask, he was already gone.  
  
“Wait for me Papyrus.” You run after him, ducking inside the hole.  
  
Not paying attention to where you were going, your head collided with Papyrus' back.

“Hey. What gives?” Papyrus barely even noticed you were there. His eyes were locked straight above him.

Thousands of glowing stones littered the cavern’s ceiling, like twinkling stars that hung in the night sky. There were so many of them, too many to count.  
  
“THEY ARE PRETTY. DON'T YOU THINK SO FRISK?” Papyrus stood beside you, eyes fixed at the stones with awe.  
  
“MY BROTHER USED TO TELL ME THAT THESE STONES ARE THE WISHES WE MONSTERS MAKE. THEY STAY UP THERE TO GIVE US HOPE. TO REMIND US THAT ONE DAY THEY WILL ALL COME TRUE.” He smiled fondly at the twinkling lights.

“YOU SHOULD MAKE A WISH FRISK!" He looked eagerly at you.  
  
A wish… You didn’t really believe in wishes. Things don't just happen because you want them to. You had wished for a couple of things when you were younger. Love. Forgiveness. A second chance. Acceptance. Friends. Family. But sometimes, you just don’t get what you want in this world. Life is cruel and selfish. It’s better not to get your hopes up.  
  
"I don't really want anything right now. How about you?"  
  
"MY WISH ALREADY CAME TRUE."  
  
“Oh yeah? What did you wish for?" You raise your eyebrow, genuinely curious.  
  
"THE LAST TIME I WENT HERE, I WISHED FOR FRIENDS THAT I WOULD KEEP FOREVER. I ALREADY HAVE SANS, UNDYNE. AND NOW, YOU." He ruffled your hair with brotherly affection.

You let your bangs fall on your face, hiding your teary eyes.

“Friends huh? That's nice.”

If Papyrus saw you shed a tear, he said nothing. You close your eyes silently wishing for it to be real. Just for today, maybe you could believe that the wish you made would come true.  
  
\---

As fun as being with Papyrus was, it was hard to keep up with him. You’ve been brisk walking for an hour before he finally noticed how tired you were.

You drop by Gerson’s shop, so Papyrus could buy some snacks for the both of you. You sit on the floor and leaned your back against the stone wall. You stretch your aching legs, taking a sip of your sea tea. Refreshing.

Papyrus was sitting right next to you, half-eaten crab apple in hand when his phone rang.  
  
“HELLO? YOU HAVE REACHED THE GREAT PAPYRUS. THIS IS HIM SPEAKING” Papyrus brought his phone back down, his face scrunching in worry.

“IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE RECEPTION IN THIS AREA IS BAD. FRISK, PLEASE EXCUSE ME. I WILL BE BACK AS SOON AS I CAN.”  
  
\--

“Papyrus sure is taking a while.” You mumble to no one in particular.  
  
It’s almost been half an hour since Papyrus left you alone and you were starting to get bored. He mustn’t have gone that far. Maybe he got lost or got distracted, probably the latter.  
  
All patience thrown out the window, you stand up, brush the dust off your pants and head off where you last saw him.

You take your time in the next room. Stone carvings adorned the halls. It spoke of the monster's history, how they fought the war and lost in vain. As if to add insult to injury, the humans created the Barrier to trap them down here. You wonder what it felt like, living every day trapped, unable to do anything about it.

You ran your hand across the next inscription. It was talking about the only way the barrier could be broken. 7 Human souls. You wonder how many they already had. How close were they to getting the freedom they all wished for?

If they use your soul… will they all be able to get out of here? You understood why they'd be desperate enough to kill you. Your life for theirs, it would be more than worth it right? You still shiver at the thought. Your life was little to no value compared to the fate of a whole nation but still the thought of dying painfully sacred you.

You shake head not wanting to think more about it. You pass a few more halls refusing to read the rest.  
  
"DO NOT WORRY UNDYNE.”

“Papyrus?” You found yourself running to where the sound was coming from.

“I was so worried about-” You turn around the corner only to be greeted not by a tall skeleton but by a lone blue flower.

“I ASSURE YOU THE HUMAN DOES NOT SUSPECT ANYTHING.”  
…  
“WE ARE ALMOST AT THE ARENA.”  
…  
“I WILL NOT FAIL YOU AGAIN.”

At that moment the whole world seemed to stop around you. There was no doubt about it. That was Papyrus’ voice. A million thoughts raced in your mind.

Papyrus wouldn’t lie to you. Would he? _Everyone else lied to you before._

Papyrus promised to protect you. _Dad said that too, but you still have scars to prove him wrong._

Papyrus said you were friends. _He said those things just so you'd come with him._ _Face it he was just using you._

“FRISK THERE YOU ARE. I WAS LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU. ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” Papyrus stood a few feet in front of you, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“Stay away from me.” Your hands instinctively grab the stick lying on the ground beside you.

“WHAT IS WRONG FRISK?”

“You sold me out!” You point your new found weapon accusingly in his direction.

“I DON'T UNDERSTAND”

“I heard you. I heard everything you said. You were planning to hand me over to the guard.”

“CALM DOWN, FRISK. LET ME EXPLAIN.”

“You called me human. Is that all I really am to you? I knew it. You're just like everyone else. You say you care about me but all you really care about is yourself.”

“Frisk, I.”

His arms reach out to grab you but your stick connected with his ulna before he could even get close.

“FRISK. PLEASE TRUST ME. IT IS NOT SAFE FOR YOU HERE. YOU MUST COME WITH ME.” He stood straighter, arms stretched wide to block your path.

“No!”

You were done. Done with people telling you what to do. Done with people using you. Done with people lying to you.

Hurt. Angry. Betrayed. You swung at him hitting his femur hard. Another swing, you heard one of his bones crack under the pressure of the blow. You don't know how many times you hit him. But it was enough pain to send him kneeling on the ground.

You take your chance. You run past him refusing to look back.

“FRISK!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's day everyone! :) I wanted to write fluff but instead i made this. Hah.
> 
> This'll likely update every other week. :)
> 
> Thanks for dropping by. Let me know what you think.


	4. Fight to save

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Frisk chooses to fight...

You ran as fast as your feet could carry you. The cold air bit your lungs with every step but you kept running. Past the glowing mushrooms, past the glowing rocks, past the houses, you didn’t stop. 

You had no clue where you were heading. Everything was a blur, you didn’t know whether it was because of the area’s lack of light or the water filling your eyes. 

More importantly, you refused to care. You didn't care that he broke his promise. You didn't care that he sold you out. Because that's what people did. They make you trust them. They make you love them. Only to stab you in the back when it’s not convenient for them anymore.

That's why you had one rule. Never let anyone close. Keep everyone at a distance or else you’ll get hurt. 

But you broke it. After all these years, you let someone in. You started trusting him. You started believing you were friends. You thought it'd be different this time around. 

You thought wrong. 

Your long strides came to a halt. Your feet refused to take another step. Every breath stung like a thousand needles piercing your lungs. 

You leaned your back against the wall and allowed yourself to slide down. You blink back the tears. You refused to let yourself care about him, but you did. Your chest ached with the crushing weight of your pent-up emotions. You had let your guard down and now you were paying for it. 

You clench your fists, hard enough your nails dug holes in the palms of your hands. The pain felt good. It distracted you from the overwhelming sense of dread. You shake your head shoving the feelings down the drain. Not again. Never again. You won't let yourself be hurt again.

You bow your head low and allow yourself a couple of minutes to rest. After your nerves settled, you continue walking.

\--

While crossing a wooden bridge you hear something slicing through the wind. You turn around only to see a bright blue spear hitting the ground inches from you. Another spear came from nowhere barely grazing your arm. 

Without a second thought, you ran. You tried to get as far away from the source, but the attacks kept coming, faster and stronger each time. 

One spear turned to two, then three, then five at a time. The last volley sent you ducking and rolling on the rocky path. The last spear landed a hairs breadth away from your face. It was getting harder and harder to dodge.

With no way to dodge them all, you grab a spear. Metal collided with metal as you swung your new weapon at the incoming blades. Some of them fell to the ground. You were lucky enough to dodge the rest.

"Is that all you've got?!" You yell at the source of the attack. Narrowing your eyes, you see a knight in armor, barely visible in the shadows.

"So, you've got some fight in you. Hmph” The Royal Guard stepped forward. “I'm only gonna ask this once. Where's Papyrus?"

You scowl at your assailant and gave no answer. There was no point in answering. By the way she glared daggers at your direction, you knew she’d already decided your fate.

"You're gonna regret this, human." The last word rolled off her tongue like acid.

She took her stance and started her barrage of attacks. The sound of clashing iron echoed through waterfall. 

You swung and parried with all your might. You kept going for what felt like hours. With each turn, you got better. Hit. Dodge. Roll. Swing. You found yourself falling in a sort of rhythm, your mind absently picked up her patterns. You were determined to win this or die trying. 

The guard was relentless. Every now and then your spear hit their mark, but her hits far outnumbered yours. Even with beads of sweat running down her face, never once did her attacks slow down. Her blows were just as intense as when you started the fight, maybe even more.

Battered and bruised, you felt your strength dwindling down. The fatigue piled up on your body despite the adrenaline rush.

One wrong step sends you tumbling down, your back hit the cold hard ground. You were defenseless, and the guard saw her opportunity. You try to scramble but she was already charging. She launched herself from the ground her spear aimed straight at you. You angle your spear right at her heart. If you were going down today, you were taking her with you.

From the corner of your eyes you see a flash of red and white. Gloved hands wrenched the spear out of your hands. The cloth hanging on his neck blocked your view.

There was a loud crack. The Royal Guard’s spear had struck something, but it had hit bone instead of flesh.

Papyrus crumpled to the ground beside you. 

"Papyrus?" Your voice barely a whisper.

"HELLO, FRIEND FRISK. I Am…. glad you are safe." His mouth curved upwards in greeting only to be replaced by a look of pure agony the next moment.

The lance had skewered his ribs breaking a couple of bones in its wake. The pointed tip protruded from his chest. 

"No." You reach out to him, only to be shoved away.

"PAPYRUS! You idiot!” The spear disintegrated with her touch. She held him in her arms, green magic emanating from her hands. “Don't you dare die on me." 

“I AM Sorry undyne... please don’t hurt fri-” Before he could finish his sentence, Papyrus’ eyes shut tight and whimpered in pain. 

The bones where the spear struck started turning into dust. Undyne’s dark armor was powdered with white.

"SHIT. I can't keep this up. I gotta get you to Alphys. She’ll know what to do."

Undyne lifted Papyrus in her arms and rushed to her destination. You could barely keep up with her. She stopped in front of a tall white building and banged loudly at its doors.

"ALPHYS! Open up. We have an emergency!" Desperation laced in every word she spoke.

The door opened to reveal a small yellow lizard dressed in a white lab coat. 

"Oh my g-osh. What happened?"

"Long story. Papyrus needs help now!"

"Bring him in." 

Alphys strode in the lab leading them into one of the rooms. The doors shut tight before you could squeeze yourself in.

You lean your head against the door and allow your bangs to cover your eyes. 

Papyrus had taken the hit for you. The same Papyrus you'd hurt had saved you. The same Papyrus you’d left had found you and protected you. The same Papyrus you’d loathed had said he was glad you were safe. That same Papyrus was now dying because of you.

Short sobs escaped your lips and echoed against the walls of the empty lab. 

Your knees buckle beneath you and you curl yourself in the ground. You didn't deserve his protection. You didn’t deserve to even be alive. It's your fault he's dying. 

You dig your nails in your arms enough to wound yourself. You were better off dead. You cause nothing but trouble.

Bony hands, cold and smooth, pried your hands away from your limbs. Your hands wrap around their torso refusing to let go. You press your head in the fabric of their jacket and weep. You held onto them like they were your only lifeline.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry… it's -hic- my… All my fault"

"shhhhhh…" His voice soothed you as his arms returned your embrace.

He plopped on the ground beside you.

"How is he?" You asked him quietly, refusing to meet his eyes.

"alphys called a while back. said my bros doin’ fine." His mouth was set in his usual grin, but his smile looked strained.

"I'm sorry. I-" His right hand ruffled your hair to cut you off.

"enough apologizing. it’s fine.”

You frown at his antics. He’s eyes were unreadable, unfocused, distant. The two of you lapse in comfortable silence. You had no idea what was running through his head and you were afraid to find out.

“if you got something on your mind kid, just ask.”

"I don't understand. Why'd he save me?"

"that's just how my brother is. he sees the good in everyone. he believes even the worst person can change."

"But I hurt him. I ran away from him. I left him back in Waterfall."

"despite everything, he still believes in you. he considers you his friend. trust me, that’s more than enough reason for him to save you.”

“But..”

“no buts.” He lets out a sigh. “it’s hard knowing someone else took the fall for you. but you just gotta live with it, for both your sakes. it's not about whether you deserve it or not. when somebody gives you a second chance, you don't waste it."

He turns to look at you fully. "the question's not about whether you deserve it, but what are you gonna do about it? you see kid. i spent so much time in the past trying to understand what went wrong. but that got me nowhere. so, you know what i did? i chose to live for that person every day trying to make things right. second chances don’t come by often, kid. it’s not like everyone can reset.”

“Reset?” 

“heh did I say that? I was about to say something else, but I forgot.” Sans used his hands to push himself back up. “Welp. I'm gonna go check on Paps." 

He ruffles your hair one last time before balancing a hotdog on your head. You frown at him before he disappeared in the next room.

“A second chance.” 

These strangers turned friends. You owed them so much. But what could you do? You were just a child. You had nothing to give them. Except… your soul. They said a human soul was enough to set them all free. That it was strong enough to break the barrier.

Papyrus had saved you. This time you were going to save them. Even if it were the last thing you'd do. 

The thought of saving everyone filled you with determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I'd update in two weeks... Oops. Sorry for making you wait. I'll try to get another chapter up by the 28th :) I think there are only about 3 or so chapters left. 
> 
> Until then, lemme know what you think. Comments and criticisms are welcome.


	5. Roles and Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a skeleton keeps his promise.

Long ago, two races ruled over the Earth: Humans and Monsters. The two kingdoms lived side by side as allies. They shared their knowledge, traded their wares, and helped each other in times of need. In time, the two kingdoms grew, relying on each other's strength.

One day, war broke out between the two races. No one knew how it started. Some say it was sparked by an idle threat. Others say it was a political conspiracy spun by the village elders. Still others claim it was a simple misunderstanding turned sour. Once word got out, the rumors spread like wildfire. With each retelling the stories added on top of each other, until no one knew what was real. But none of it mattered.

After a long battle the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell. 

Many years later, the monsters were able to rebuild their kingdom. But the years living in peace could never erase what happened. They never forgot the past. They passed their history from   
generation to generation.

Even the youngest monster knew the sins humankind had committed. How the humans stole everything from them. How they’ve killed thousands of monsters, carpeting the open plains with white dust. How they sent them into exile, left to die in the underground. 

Humans had no love, no hope, and no compassion in them. Humans hurt and kill monsters. They were the enemy of monsterkind.

But the first time Papyrus found a human, he could hardly believe the stories were true. They were so small, barely reaching his ribs. Thin arms dangled at their sides, as they watched the snowy landscape in awe. 

As a sentry, Papyrus was tasked to capture humans. It was his sworn duty to hand them over to the king. He had dreamed of this day all his life. After capturing one he would finally get all that he deserved, all that he wanted, all that he had worked hard for. The fame, the friends, and a hedge in the shape of his face. 

He was supposed to arrest the human, report to the Royal Guard, and escort them to the King. That was the plan he’d come up with the moment he was named Junior Sentry. But then… plans change.

You had followed him around like a lost puppy, wary but eager to please. You barely talked, but every time you did, you sounded so pure, so innocent. Killers weren't supposed to sound like that. Dangerous criminals weren’t supposed to laugh at jokes or want to solve puzzles.

Papyrus let you try one of his puzzles. He didn’t expect anything to go wrong. But then he saw you skidding toward the edge of a cliff, every bone in his body acted on instinct. He reached out to grab you, to protect you from the fall.

Seeing you huddled in his arms, realization struck him like an avalanche. You were a child. Human or not, you were a small defenseless child. Duty or not, handing you over to your death felt wrong. Every fiber of his body screamed it was wrong. Recognition be damned.

Instead of giving you up to the guards, Papyrus took you in. He welcomed you into his home, cooked you his signature dish, let you sleep in his bed. At the end of the day, he read you his favorite story, tucked you in, and wished you good night. He wasn't entirely sure why he did it. Maybe to lessen the nagging guilt at the back of his head or perhaps he genuinely wanted to take care of you, his new friend.

Later that night, the sound of footsteps on the wooden floor woke him. Papyrus shut his eyes, straining his ears to pick up the slightest sound. The footsteps made their way downstairs, soft, slow, and steady. He felt his heart drop. Frisk was sneaking out.

He wanted to stop Frisk, tell them that it was unsafe, or at least warn them that monsters outside would try to kill them. But doubt held him back. Papyrus wasn't sure if Frisk trusted him. If he tried to stop them, would they believe he was trying to keep them safe or would they think he was lying? If he confronted them now could he convince them to stay or will they fight to escape?

You had only known each other less than a day. It was your choice to leave and he had no business stopping you. He wanted answers but at the same time he was too afraid to know them. So instead of stopping you, he continued pretending to sleep.

Your goodbye hit him hard, but it did not shake his resolve. The Great Papyrus never breaks a promise. He vowed that he would protect you and protect you he will. Even if you did not want his protection. 

\-- 

The following day, Papyrus marched toward Waterfall determined to make things right. His bones still quaked at the thought of meeting Undyne. The thought of lying to his best friend set him on edge. He didn’t know if she would see through his lies. If she found out would she be able to forgive him? He couldn’t bare losing his best friend.

“UNDYNE, I AM HERE FOR MY REPORT.”

He gave his report the way he normally did. He narrated everything that happened the day before. Everything except the part about meeting Frisk. 

"And the human?"

That one question caught him off guard. Papyrus stuttered, his whole facade shattered in an instant. Undyne knew about Frisk. He tried to scramble for an answer, a way to cover up. But Undyne had already made up her mind, she turned her back on him and started to walk away.

Papyrus wanted to beg. But begging won’t change his best friend’s mind. Not when she was furious. 

If she finds you first, she was going to kill you. 

"WAIT! PLEASE UNDYNE.” Desperation laced his words. His voice threatening to break. “I- I CAN CAPTURE THE HUMAN." 

"I already gave you a chance Papyrus. And you betrayed us."

"3 HOURS. JUST GIVE ME 3 HOURS WITH THEM. I'LL PERSONALLY BRING THEM TO YOU."

"2 hours.” She barked at him. “You have 2 hours. If you don’t bring the human. Their mine. You got that?"

"YES. THANK YOU UNDYNE."

Papyrus raised his hand in salute, turned around and hurried to find Frisk. He had 2 hours to save a life. It was barely enough time, but it was all he had. He refused to waste even a second of it.

\--

Papyrus knew Waterfall like the back of his hand. Finding you was easy enough. It took him a matter of minutes to do so. What he needed was a way to save you. Bringing you to Undyne was out of the question. Taking you back to Snowdin might work but he couldn’t really hide you there, not when the other sentries were prowling about.

Out of viable options, Papyrus opted to stall the inevitable. He guided you through Waterfall. He tried keep the conversation as light as possible, careful not to let his nervousness seep into his words.

An hour past when his phone rang. He knew who was at the other end of the line. He wanted to ignore it and pretend he didn’t hear anything. But Frisk had already noticed, and they were staring straight at him.

Reluctantly, Papyrus raised his phone to answer. “HELLO? YOU HAVE REACHED THE GREAT PAPYRUS. THIS IS HIM SPEAKING”

“Papyrus, have you captured the human?”

Papyrus brought his phone back down. He couldn’t answer Undyne’s question, not without you sitting right beside him.

“IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE RECEPTION IN THIS AREA IS BAD. FRISK, PLEASE EXCUSE ME. I WILL BE BACK AS SOON AS I CAN.”

Safely away from earshot, Papyrus responded. “YES, THEY ARE WITH ME.”

“Good. You’re sure you can bring them here?”

"DO NOT WORRY UNDYNE. I ASSURE YOU THE HUMAN DOES NOT SUSPECT A THING.”

“Alright. I’m waiting for you near Hotland’s entrance. Where exactly are you?”

“WE ARE ALMOST AT THE ARENA.” This couldn’t be farther from the truth, they were somewhere in the middle of Waterfall. Still, Papyrus had to assure Undyne to make sure she wouldn’t do anything reckless.

“You’re not lying to right Papyrus? Humans are our enemies. Don’t let them fool you.”

“WHY WOULD I LIE TO YOU UNDYNE? AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE. I WILL NOT FAIL YOU AGAIN.”

Papyrus shut his phone with a sigh. He started heading back in your direction, but his legs refused to move. 

He couldn’t face you right now. He needed time. Time to think things through. He needed a plan. He started marching toward the opposite direction. Once he found himself a remote spot, he allowed himself to sink in a corner. He had to think. He had to come up with a plan. 

Seconds passed, or was it minutes? He held his skull between his hands, willing to come up with something, anything that could help, but instead he found himself breaking down. Tears ran down the side of his face. His bones shivered with every breath. He didn’t know what to do. Crying didn’t help solve the problem. He had to help you. He had to keep you safe. 

Papyrus jolted as he remembered. Frisk! He had left you alone. He’d lost track of time. You must be so worried. He wiped his tear stained cheeks and scrambled to his feet. He went back to Gerson’s shop but were nowhere in sight. He ran faster. He had to find you before anyone else did.

Relief struck him when he saw your familiar blue and purple sweater when he rounded the corner.

“FRISK THERE YOU ARE. I WAS LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU. ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”  
A moment of silence passed, but you didn’t answer back. Papyrus closed the distance between the two of you.

“Stay away from me.”

Papyrus flinched. Your voice screamed in warning. Your hands clutched a tree branch pointing straight at him like he was a threat.

“WHAT IS WRONG FRISK?” Papyrus head titled to the side unsure of what to make of the situation.

“You sold me out!”

“I DON'T UNDERSTAND”

“I heard you. I heard everything you said. You were planning to hand me over to the guard.”

“CALM DOWN, FRISK. LET ME EXPLAIN.”

“You called me human. Is that all I really am to you? I knew it. You're just like everyone else. You say you care about me but all you really care about is yourself.”

“Frisk, I.”

Papyrus thought of Frisk as a friend. He cared about you. He wanted nothing more than to keep you safe. This wasn’t supposed to happen, you weren’t supposed to hear any of that. He wanted to tell everything, but his words got caught in his throat.

He could do nothing but stare into your eyes. He saw the hurt, anger, betrayal reflected in those tiny orbs. He reached out his arms to you. He wanted to embrace you so badly, but you swatted his arms away.

“FRISK. PLEASE TRUST ME. IT IS NOT SAFE FOR YOU HERE. YOU MUST COME WITH ME.” 

“No!”

You swung at him repeatedly. Every blow hurt harder than the one before. Papyrus felt it slowly draining his HP but he stood his ground. He kept his arms up to block your path. 

A sharp hit on his hip sent him kneeling to the ground. He tried to get back up but the pain sent him sprawling on the ground. 

“FRISK!”

\--

Undyne sat in one of the chairs in the clinic. She tapped her fingers on the side table break the silence. The room was devoid of sound. Too quiet for her liking.

Her eyes surveyed the monitors. She’d been trying to make sense of the charts for the past half hour. But she was a warrior, not a doctor. The numbers and words were gibberish to her. 

She slammed hand on the desk. She hated feeling helpless. She hated not being able to do anything. Her nails dug deep in the palm her hands.

She willed herself to look at anything else in the room to pass the time. Her eyes settled on the skeleton lying on the hospital bed. She watched as Papyrus' ribs rose and fall perfectly in sync with an unseen metronome. She never knew skeletons breathe.

She took a moment to take him all in. Wires were attached to her best friend's arms, chest, and skull. The chords connected to the machine to his right which monitored his vital signs. The screen on the left, the only thing she was able to make sense of, showed his HP at 10. 

"Damn'it" Undyne cursed under her breath. 

Good thing Alphys was able to heal him. He was so close to death. A second later and he would've been dusted. She assured Undyne that he'd be fine. That didn’t make her feel any better.

This would never have happened if that stupid human hadn't shown up. It was all their fault. They just had to befriend Papyrus. Sweet and innocent Papyrus. Friendly and caring Papyrus. Stubborn and loyal Papyrus.

She knew from the moment he stood knocking on her door what kind of monster he was. He was the type who couldn't hurt anyone even if his own life was on the line. Even if he was determined to be part of the Royal Guard, he just wasn’t a warrior. But he had begged her for days and she just couldn't refuse. She should have refused. Of all the monsters in the underground, it just had to be Papyrus. She shook her head shoving the thought away. 

She should be doing something else right now. She should be reporting to the rest of the Royal Guard. She should be handing the human over to the King. But screw her responsibilities. Her best friend was hurt. He was lying on a hospital bed. All because she couldn't control her magic. All because she was so set on killing the human that couldn't stop in time.

She'd played the scene in her mind again and again. There were so many other ways it could've gone. She could have angled her spear away from him. She could have summoned a shield block her attack. Heck, she could've dispersed her weapon the moment she saw Papyrus standing in the way. But she wasn't smart enough to do any of them. She loathed herself not thinking fast enough.

She had skewered his ribs and almost killed him. Instead of crying in pain he'd asked her to do one thing.

"Please don't hurt.. Frisk" 

He smiled at her as he spoke those words. Typical Papyrus. Even in death, he still put others before himself. She really shouldn’t have let him be a sentry. 

The sound of the door opening snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Heya. I came to check on Paps."

"Oh. hey Sans. I uh-" 

Sans raised his hands motioning for her to stop. "It's okay. Alph filled me in."

"I'm sorry Sans. I’ll give you two some privacy." 

She stood up to leave shutting the door behind her. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eyes. If he had said anything else after that she didn't hear it. 

She walked aimlessly in the lab until she caught sight of the human heading out the door.

"Human. Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm getting you all out." The human turned around to face Undyne.

"Seven human souls. That's how many it takes to break the barrier. Six, that's how many we have so far."

"With me. That makes seven"

Her mouth stretched in a thin line as she looked away. "You know you're gonna die right? That's the only way."

"I know." 

You bit your bottom lip. You hoped you didn’t have to die but it was still hard to admit it. There was no turning back now. You had already made up your mind. You were determined to save everyone. 

"Funny. You weren't so eager to die in Waterfall. What made you change your mind?"

Papyrus’ face flashed in your mind. How he smiled at you even when you made mistakes. How he welcomed you into his home even when he barely knew you. How he held his arms wide open even when you hit him repeatedly. How he protected you even when you didn't deserve it. 

"Papyrus saved me. I owe him that much."

"He wouldn't want you to die." Undyne’s voice was level, if there was any concern in it, you didn’t notice.

"I know. But I have to do this."

"Tell me, why did he save you?"

"I don't know. I know I didn't deserve it. But I won’t waste it. I’ll break the barrier if it’s the last thing I do."

"Pfft... you can be stubborn when you want to be.” She shook her head. “The King's castle is this way." She exited the lab and signaled for you to follow. 

"Past hotland there's a building called the MTT Resort. In it, there's an elevator that can take you straight to the capital. I'll let Alphys know so she can make sure it works for you."

"How about you? What are you gonna do?"

"I'm not gonna waste my afternoon babysitting a kid." She crossed her arms and puffed her chest. "I'll meet with the rest of the guard. Don't worry, I'll get them off your back. At least until you reach the King."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me punk. I didn't do it for you. Now lost before I change my mind."

Filled with new found hope you head towards the barrier. You'll get them all out or die trying. You are filled with determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this. And thank you for everyone who's bookmarked this, left a comment or a kudos :) Seriously, I can't thank you enough.
> 
> This was supposed to go up yesterday, but I just didn't know where I could cut the story without making it too short... So here's a somewhat longer chapter (?). Next chapter's gonna be interesting so I hope you stick around. The next one will be up on the 28th. 
> 
> Let me know what you think. Comments are so welcome :)


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